1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to substituted noble metal xanthates and the method of their preparation. These xanthates can be used as precursors for catalysts for removing impurities such as nitrogen and sulfur from hydrocarbonaceous feeds.
2. Description of Related Art
Various metal xanthates are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,037,717 and 2,037,718 concern the preparation of metal xanthates. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 2,335,017 discloses that metal xanthates having the formula ROCS.sub.2 M may be used in a lubricating oil. It is taught in that reference that M is a metal and R is an aliphatic or aromatic radical that may contain further substituted atoms or groups such as -O(alkyl).
Similarly, certain substituted metal xanthates are also known in the art. For example, the reaction of nickel methoxyethylxanthate with other compounds has been studied (see Inorg. Chem., Vol. 18, no. 12, pp. 3612-15 (1979)) as has the decomposition of potassium methoxyethylxanthate (see J. Org. Chem. Vol. 44, no. 10, pp. 1664-9 (1989)). Also, sodium ethoxyethylxanthate and potassium ethoxy-ethylxanthate are known (see European Patent Application 131,374 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,137, respectively).
However, none of these publications related to the substituted noble metal xanthates of this invention.